Alabama Runoff Elections Determine Candidates in Newly Competitive House District

Shomari Figures, a Democrat with a strong political legacy in Alabama, is set to face off against Caroleene Dobson, a Republican political newcomer, in November for the seat in Alabama’s Second Congressional District. The district, recently redrawn to include more Black voters following a Supreme Court ruling, is now seen as one of the most competitive races in the South.

Figures, who comes from a family deeply rooted in Alabama politics, worked in the Justice Department and the Obama administration before returning to his home state to run for office. His opponent, Dobson, a lawyer, defeated former state senator Dick Brewbaker in the Republican primary, emphasizing the need for a fresh political voice in Washington.

On the Democratic side, Figures bested State Representative Anthony Daniels in the primary runoff. Despite not living in the district, Daniels argued that his leadership in the State House demonstrated his ability to deliver for Alabama residents.

If Figures were to win in November, along with Representative Terri Sewell’s expected re-election in the Sixth Congressional District, Alabama could potentially send two Black representatives to Washington for the first time in its history.

With the district now encompassing Mobile, Montgomery, and parts of the Black Belt, where enslaved people once worked on plantations, the race between Figures and Dobson is expected to draw national attention as a key battleground in the upcoming election.